


Nepotism

by FloreatCastellum



Series: Slice of Life One-Shots [46]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror application, Dawlish bashing, Dawlish is a dick, Gen, James Sirius Potter (mentioned) - Freeform, Sassy Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:01:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19180405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloreatCastellum/pseuds/FloreatCastellum
Summary: Harry has plans to leave the room when his son's application to join the Aurors is being discussed. Dawlish is in agreement, which naturally means Harry must stay.





	Nepotism

They were going through the applications one at a time, discussing each one at painful length despite it simply being the first stage - anyone who passed would then be invited to the first of the many interviews and assessment days. Harry had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and was leaning back in his chair, trying his best to concentrate in the stuffy meeting room, but his mind kept drifting to the lamb curry he was planning to make for dinner that evening. 

When they had finally agreed yes on Hazel and chucked her file onto the smaller pile, Proudfoot picked up the next. ‘Right,’ he said, ‘James Potter-’

‘OK, I’ll-’ began Harry, who was about to offer to go and make everyone tea while they discussed. 

‘I appreciate that he’s head of the department, but I believe that Auror Potter should leave the room while we discuss this candidate,’ announced Dawlish pompously. 

A blast of uneasiness surrounded the table - the other senior aurors looked over at Harry awkwardly. 

When Harry had moved Dawlish to the broader Law Enforcement department to focus on research and intelligence, it had had the benefit of having to see him far less. He clearly hadn’t thought it through though, because it no longer meant he had the power to fire him. 

He took a steadying breath. ‘I’m not going to be involved in the interviewing, assessment or decision making in regards to my son’s application-’

‘All the same, I think it would be best if you weren’t in the room, otherwise people may not feel they can speak their minds,’ said Dawlish. 

This was, in fact, the exact reason Harry had planned to leave, but now all of a sudden he found the mere suggestion insulting. ‘I think my team is intelligent enough and fair enough to not let my mere presence influence them unfairly,’ he said coldly. He gazed slowly around the table. ‘If I give you all my word I won’t sack any of you if my kid doesn’t make the cut, do you all think you can be brave enough to treat him fairly?’

The older aurors, that had worked with Harry for many years and knew him well, grinned, though a few others shifted uncomfortably. 

‘I think we can all agree that Mr Potter will hear our decision eventually anyway,’ said Auror Hodges. ‘Proudfoot, please continue.’ 

So Harry leaned back and folded his arms stubbornly, determined to listen to the discussion he would really rather pretend wasn’t happening. It really did demonstrate the strength of his desire to annoy Dawlish - he felt it was far more likely that they would accept James if he stayed in the room. 

‘Well,’ said Proudfoot awkwardly, ‘er, Harry’s son-’

‘Please do it as you have all the others, Proudfoot,’ said Harry pleasantly, enjoying the sour look on Dawlish’s face. 

‘Right, yes - Potter is one of our younger applicants, straight from Hogwarts-’

‘So no experience then,’ interrupted Dawlish. 

‘Loads of them don’t have experience,’ said Wright blankly. ‘It’s a graduate scheme.’ 

‘However,’ continued Proudfoot loudly, ‘he has excellent grades and testimonials from teachers, predicted a strong O in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Herbology, as well as an E in Potions and Charms, as well as having held positions of responsibility as Quidditch Captain and President of the Duelling Club-’

‘Disciplinary record paints a different picture though, I believe?’ said Dawlish, who to Harry’s supreme irritation looked rather smug.

‘Yes, the detention record is a concern,’ admitted Proudfoot, determinedly avoiding Harry’s gaze. ‘Particularly the brief period of suspension, though behaviour appeared to improve significantly from then. However there’s no criminal record or suggestions of using magic outside of school, which is a pleasant change-’

‘How long was the suspension for?’ asked Fawcett. 

‘Five days,’ muttered Harry, who felt very stiff in the shoulders. 

‘He addresses this in his personal motivation statement,’ said Proudfoot, and from the file he pulled out copies and started passing them round. 

‘I don’t want to read it,’ Harry said, when it got to him. He passed it immediately along to Davies on his right with only the briefest glance down to the professionally typed statement, strongly suspecting that Teddy might have assisted. ‘I’m not involved in the process.’ 

He waited in awkward silence as everyone around the table read their copies, feeling a mad urge to grab one off somebody and read it for himself, but desperate to stay as uninvolved as possible. 

‘Well, it’s certainly moving,’ said said Auror Bosley, and there was a murmur of agreement. 

Now Harry really had an urge to grab one. He couldn’t imagine his son writing anything moving at all - he had imagined a boastful statement sprinkled with borderline offensive jokes. 

‘Did you help him write it?’ Dawlish demanded. 

‘Oh, you’re such an arsehole,’ said Harry heavily. ‘No, obviously not-

‘You think Harry would have written any of this?’ said Hodges, waving the statement and smirking. 

‘It’s far too complimentary to him,’ agreed Bosley. 

‘What did we all think on the section that discussed his suspension?’ asked Proudfoot quickly. ‘Has it resolved concerns?’ 

‘Did for me, I think,’ said Fawcett. ‘Honest and revealing - you can see it was a pivotal point for him, and I think it demonstrates a good amount of self-awareness.’

‘Yes, I’m glad he didn’t skim over it, because the fact on it’s own would have been an instant no from me,’ said Wright. 

Yes, Teddy must have helped, Harry thought. There was no way his eldest son had written something that was honest, revealing and demonstrated self-awareness.

‘I have some concerns that he may have an idealistic perception of the job,’ said Bosley, blushing. She was also avoiding Harry’s gaze. 

‘Hmm.’ 

The table went silent again as they reread, and Harry sat there with a ball of anxiety in his chest, unsure what he was hoping for. 

‘Potentially,’ said Fawcett. ‘Though I’m sure he’s heard enough stories from-’

‘No!’ said Dawlish loudly, ‘no, we can’t involve Potter in the discussion at all!’

‘Look, just say your piece, Dawlish,’ snapped Harry. ‘Then all the adults can get back to the discussion.’ 

‘I just think the public image of the department should be considered,’ said Dawlish, in an obnoxiously calm tone. ‘Given that our Head of Department was hired in an unorthodox manner-’

‘That was over twenty years ago, you might have to accept that I’m not going to cock everything up soon,’ said Harry tersely.

‘-It may appear as though young Potter has been accepted via nepotism.’ 

‘We have made clear efforts to counteract that,’ said Proudfoot. ‘It’s been discussed from the start, and Auror Potter has agreed to step away from all recruitment activities relating to-’

‘But he’s still in here!’ flustered Dawlish. ‘Not to mention, how is it going to work, them both working together? Suppose Auror Potter is distracted in the field worrying about his son-’

‘I thought we couldn’t involve me in the discussion at all?’ said Harry sharply. 

‘Shall we make a decision, please?’ said Proudfoot, firmly. ‘Naturally, boss, I must ask you to refrain from the vote, but all those in favour?’ 

All hands but Harry’s and Dawlish’s rose. 

‘The ayes have it,’ said Proudfoot, and he chucked James’s application on the small yes pile. ‘Next up, a reapplication from John Schilling-’

‘Again?’ exclaimed Wright. 

Harry returned home an hour and a half later, yelling a hello through a yawn as he hung up his cloak and heading straight to the kitchen. Ginny was there - she had started chopping the vegetables for him and was talking easily to Teddy, who was sat at the kitchen table. 

‘Oh, hello,’ said Harry, ‘how’s the baby?’

‘Crying a lot.’ 

‘Did you try the thing with the bubbles?’ he asked, before kissing Ginny on the cheek and quietly telling her he’d finish. 

‘Yeah, it helps, cheers - I’m not stopping, just thought I’d pop round-’ he yawned widely. ‘Ugh, ‘scuse me - pop round and see how you were. You’re back late.’ 

‘Got caught up in grad recruitment stuff,’ said Harry, and he began violently chopping up the lamb. 

‘Ooh, and?’ asked Ginny, grinning. 

‘Dawlish was being a right prat, as usual, banging on about nepotism, but James’s through to the next round,’ he said heavily. 

‘That’s great!’ said Ginny, beaming. 

‘Yeah…’ said Harry. He suddenly remembered something, and pointed his knife at Teddy, who leaned back, amused. 

‘What?’ he asked. 

‘Have you been helping him?’ 

‘Me?’ said Teddy, baffled. 

‘Apparently his personal statement was very well written. I didn’t read it, but they used all sorts of nice words like honest, and self-aware-’

‘Ted!’ said Ginny, outraged. She twisted in her seat to glare at him. ‘We told you not to!’ 

‘I didn’t!’ protested Teddy. ‘When would I have had the time to do that?’ 

‘There’s no way my son wrote something that everyone agreed was “moving”,’ said Harry. ‘Nobody mentioned any dick jokes, it can’t have been him.’ 

Teddy shrugged. ‘Maybe he’s actually serious about the whole thing, Harry, and he isn’t doing it just to annoy you.’ 

‘What a terrifying thought,’ said Harry. ‘Well, nobody tell him he’s through to the next round. It can’t come from me, it’ll look dodgy.’ 

‘Few more weeks and he’ll be home for the summer,’ said Ted. ‘Then how are you going to cope? He’ll probably try and follow you to work.’ 

‘If he does, I’ll get him to shadow Dawlish all day,’ said Harry. ‘May as well annoy two birds with one stone.’


End file.
